[Closed] Runners - shin splints, new shoes?

increase in intensity of workout? ie running faster

I had shinsplints and am praying they don't return. No idea if your shoes are the issue, but I found the only cure was prolonged rest.

i'll ask about that though it sounds a bit strange?

Did you get ultra-light ones, meant for v. experienced runners? I.E. ones without much support or comfort? Could just be that.
I've put double-strike inserts into mine to cure knee trouble, seemed to work ok.

dave, no they're nothing like that just a good (apparently) road shoe by Ascics

Swisstony

Stop running on the road and train on the grass/mud if you can.
Stretching is good but do it after running not before. (There is not a lot of evidence stretching helps much in injury recovery however anecdotaly it is popular so do it anyway) both straight leg leaning against wall and bent knee against wall.
Ice and Ibuprofen (if you have no medical condition that precludes it) every few hours then try to massage the area with oil running your fingers between the bone and muscle of your shin.
If it worsens or is too painful to run gently then stop. If you don't it will not get better and may turn into a stress fracture.
Build up gently on your return and run as much as possible on soft surfaces.
I have suffered for years with shin splints ans stress fractures!
Good luck

You've not been running long so it may be co-incidental hat you have got shin splints at the same time as changing running shoes- you may have been heading for them anyway. Have a look at your running style. I used to suffer from shin splints every time I ran regularly for more than a month or so and gave up running. About a year ago I took up running again and this time everything hurt- shins, back, knees, thighs. Ok I was about 20 years older than the last time I ran regularly but I didn't think I was that old and knackered. Anyway I examined my running style and found I was running flat footed with my heel striking first. I basically taught myself to run again on the balls of my feet- not easy as my achillies tendon had basically never been used properly and was very weak. However as soon as I did this I got proper spring in my stride, my times were 20% faster and the pain disappeared

Back from the shop with a new pair of shoes!

When i first went in they just assessed me standing on the floor and said i was overprenated so gave me a shoe with extra support for this. When i went back and told them about the shin splints they were very good and recorded me running on the treadmill in the shop then as we watched it back they measured the angles. Anyway it turns out i'm a bit of an odity in that even though i'm overprenated i manage to run 'normally'. So they've swapped the shoes for a neutral pair and i'll see how i get on woth those.

fingers crossed

You really can't judge someone's running style while they're just stood there! Hopefully you'll get on better with these new ones then.

Go and see a podiatrist

I used to get them when I was younger (like 18-22) when I was playing alot of footie on Astro Turf, but seemed to just grow out of them.

Haven't sufferd since

How do you know its shin splints?

There are many other running ailments out there besides the obvious....having been fobbed off by GPs for over 16 yrs 'its just shin splints - stop running'...I finally had my problem diagnosed - exertional compartment syndrome.

Had the op over Christmas and can't wait to see if it has worked!

joe1983 - Member
I had shinsplints and am praying they don't return.

Me too. Ever since, on the advice of my running coaches at school (a Commonwealth gold medal winner and all round distance guru and a chap who was, for many years, one of the best marathon runners in the UK), I have used a place called Run and Become in London to buy shoes. They match the shoes to your running style. Really very good.

brack - Hope the Op has sorted it for you, can i ask what the symptoms were? numb feet, tight Achilles etc..?

I am just getting back into running, i am trying to stick to XC to keep it interesting. Managed a fairly even 53min - 10k on my third run out yesterday, i have a long way to go. Can anyone suggest a realistic target time?

Sorry for the Hijack.

Numb feet and a tightnes across the frontal/outer aspect of the lower calf/shin....only when exercising.

As soon as I stopped blood supply returned.

I get something similar, not to the same extent though. Tight Achilles followed by dull ache in lower leg and shortly after (3miles ish) numb feet. Seems to be getting better though, i generally try to run through it.

I know they're shin splints as as above i used to get them playing football a long time ago! and i hadn't even bothered trying to run because of them since. But recently i gave it a go, as i said in some old trainers and i was fine so thought i'd grown out of it too.

The guys at the shop, i had all 3 of them assessing me, agreed with my self diagnosis and explained how the wrong shoe could cause it which made sense to me.

MTT as for target times, i wish i could do 10k in 53mins, in fact i wish i could do 10k!

I've had them a couple of times

Both times coincided with a rapid increase in mileage.

I believe the maxim is increase your mileage by no more than 10% per week.

I followed that, and haven't had them since.

Once they are better maybe you should work on your shins.
If you stand on a step with your toes. Gently raise your heals so you are standing on your tip toes. Then lower your heals until they are lower than your toes, and the step. (I hope that makes sense). You can also just gently work on them just by standing on your toes. So if you are in a queue or waiting somewhere just do a few lifts.

Shins do take a long time to recover so you must work on them gently.